My friend Katy text me late this afternoon asking for a fast Jelly Roll pattern.
I never let something like...I've never bought a Jelly Roll....stand in the way of a challenge.
I have actually been cutting and saving a 2.5" strip of each piece of batik that I buy, so I have been collecting ideas.
After a couple rounds of "that would look cool" vs "keep it simple stupid", I came up with a 2 tone spiral based on ideas I'd saved of others work. This is the simplified version of my favorite. This tutorial is for Katy. But I won't complain if you decide to make one too.
Katy, sort your jelly roll into light and dark. If there isn't a lot of contrast, consider adding a strongly contrasting set of strips. I really like the blue strips you showed me. It could look great with pink, lime, black, white contrast...or orange if she's a BSU fan. The other set had some dark and light, but may need some extra cream for filler. For my demo, I did 20 strips of white-on-white in 5 variations and 20 of 3 different greens. I'm starting with the darkest green in the center. Sort all of your strips darkest to lightest and use them in that order. If you aren't sure, take a black & white photo and it will help you sort out that tone.
With your darkest strip and your contrast, cut the following lengths:
2.5 4.5 6.5 8.5 10.5
You should end up with about 9-10" left of that original pair of strips.
Use scant 1/4 seams.
Here's how it goes together. 2.5's together, finger press to the dark. Add the dark 4.5 to make a square. Add the white 4.5 to the opposite side. Press.
Add the 6.5 of each side of the center rectangle.
Press and trim. I'm not kidding. If you don't press and trim every time I tell you to, it will be a total disaster. This piece needs to be 6.5 x 8.5. If it isn't, rip or start over.
From this point on, you'll be adding a dark and light on each side. This is the last of the pre-cut sets.
At this point, I found also that it is big enough to be able to do some continuous stitching by bending the piece around to stitch the opposite piece instead of doing one seam at a time.
Press every time you add a pair of strips. Press to the dark side. (Sorry Luke, I'm not your father)
Each time you add a round of strips, press and re-trim. Line up the ruler on the 2.25 line of the contrast.
I am pretty good at straight stitching, but even mine were wonky. Yours don't stand a chance.
Instead of pre-cutting the pieces at this point, I just sewed them on, then trimmed after each pair of dark and light. So much easier than math.
This is also the point where you will run out of fabric from the first strip. I recommend stitching your strips together in a continuous strip in the order of dark to light that you started with.
Move the placement of the attachment strip so it looks good (like the previous picture, not this one).
Keep doing this until you run out of strips. I'm not sure how big that will be as I stopped the planning to make this tutorial.
Yes. You owe me wine.
